This week, our client, The Trail Foundation, unveiled a new sign on the Pfluger Bridge detailing the history of Lady Bird Lake and the Hike and Bike Trail along the lake.
The sign is a gift to the public and features a detailed timeline of the Trail’s history that spans from 1940 to 2006, as well as words from Lady Bird Johnson about the formation of the Hike and Bike Trail at Lady Bird Lake.
Mrs. Roy Butler, former first lady of Austin and charter member of the Town Lake Beautification Committee, talks about her role in helping to make the Hike and Bike Trail at Lady Bird Lake the centerpiece of Austin.
Attendees got the chance to hear from Mrs. Roy Butler, former first lady of Austin and charter member of the Town Lake Beautification Committee, about her role in helping to make the Trail the centerpiece of Austin, as well as Susan Rankin, executive director of The Trail Foundation; Griffin Davis, past president of The Trail Foundation board of directors; Sara Hensley, director of the Austin Parks and Recreation Department; and Will Meredith, of the MFI Foundation, which funded the new sign through a generous challenge grant from the MFI Foundation—along with the Michael and Susan Dell Foundation.
Susan Rankin (executive director of The Trail Foundation), Griffin Davis (past president of The Trail Foundation board of directors), Mrs. Roy Butler (former first lady of Austin and charter member of the Town Lake Beautification Committee), and Will Meredith (MFI Foundation) unveil the new sign on the Pfluger Pedestrian Bridge on May 17, 2011.
It was so gratifying for me to meet some of the heavy hitters who were instrumental in giving us the beautiful Hike and Bike Trail at Lady Bird Lake, which many people take for granted. Let’s be honest—how many of you really knew how it became what it is today?
More than anything, though, it was inspiring to see what can happen when city leaders, philanthropists and members of the general public work together to achieve a common goal.
Looking back on the first 40 years brings added excitement to what the next decade will bring—specifically, another historic project that is in the works. The Trail Foundation is currently working to raise the private portion of the funds for the Trail Completion Project, known as the Boardwalk Trail at Lady Bird Lake.
You may remember, this project was part of the mobility bond package passed by Austin voters in November of last year. It will close the southeastern gap of the Hike and Bike Trail around Lady Bird Lake—extending the Trail more than one mile from the east side of the Austin American-Statesman building to Lakeshore Park.
It is truly an honor to be a part of history in the making. In the coming decades, when I walk or bike along the Boardwalk Trail at Lady Bird Lake, I know I will remember this day and the role we all played in helping to enhance Austin’s crown jewel!
--Erin Ochoa
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